Folding crate.



No. 827,028. PATBNTED JULY 24, 190

H. 11. MAY. FOLDING CRATE. PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 1.17, 1906.

PATENTEDJULY 24, 1906.

H-4H.. MAY.

FOLDING CRATE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY H. MAY, or NEW ALBIN, IOWA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALE To SQUIRE HEATH,or BENSON, MINNESOTA.

FOLDING CRATE.

Application filed March 17,

T (ZZZ whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HENRY H. MAY, a citi Zen of the United States,residing at New Albin, in the county of Allam'akee and State of Iowa,have invented a new and useful Folding Crate, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates generally to folding crates, and particularly toone adapted for use in shipping poultry.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and novel form offolding crate in which the parts shall be so constructed and combined asto present the greatest stability in use with a minimum danger ofbreakage and which may be folded perfectly fiat for purpose ofreshipment.

Withthe above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature ofthe invention is better understood, the same consists in the novelconstruction and combination of parts of a folding crate, as will behereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, andin which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts,Figure 1 is aview in perspective exhibiting the crate as it appears whenset up for use. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the crate knocked downfor reshipment. Fig. 3 is a sectional detail view of one corner of acrate, taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, and looking in the direction ofthe arrow thereon.

The crate comprises a bottom 1, top 2, sides 3, and ends 4. The bottomis herein shown as constructed solid, although, if preferred, it may becomposed of slats, and is strengthened by transverse battens 5, of whichthere are three shown, although this number may be increased if foundnecessary or desirable.

The top, sides, and ends are shown as openwork structures, constructed,preferably, of slats of wood,'and the sides are reinforced by verticalbattens 6, secured exteriorly thereof, although, if preferred, they maybe arranged interiorly of the crate if found advantageous. Each end 4 isshown as composed of three transverse slats or members 7, secured tovertical slats or members 8, preferably by having their terminalsrabbeted to overlap, and are secured together in any suitabl emanner. 1As herein shown, the slats 7 and 8 all occupy the Specification ofLetters Patent.

Batented July 24, 1966.

1905. Serial no. 260,633.

lower slats may be disposed exteriorl" of the slats 8 and still bewithin the scope ofthc in vention. The top 2 is constructedoflongitudinal slats 9 and transverse slats 10 and 13 and door-guides 11and 12, secured to the slats, 9 and serving to brace themagainstyielding. A number of the slats 9 terminate with the. guides 11' and 12,latter are rabbeted on their, opposed faces, as shown at a 14, toreceive a sliding door 15, by which ingress may be had to the interiorof the crate. The sides are connected tothebottom pairs of hinges 16,and the top is connected with the sides by pairs of hinges 17, theleaves of the hinges being disposed on the interior of the crate,thereby to permit the structure to be folded out flat, as shown in Fig.2.

In order to hold the crate set up, the ends fit between the sides, asclearly shown in Fig. 1, the end slats 10 and 13 of the top beingbeveled at 18, and the upper slats 8 of the ends being similarly beveledat 19 for this purpose, the ends and top being held combined by hinges20, the leaves of which are disposed exteriorly of the crate, thus topermit the ends to be folded over upon the top, as shown in Fig. 2. Whenthe ends are in the position shown in Fig. 1, they will lie flush withthe terminals of the sides, and thus present rigid braces, which willprevent any collapsing of the sides and top; To prevent the ends frommoving when the crate is set up, locking-pins 21 are employed which passthrough the lower slats 7 and into the bottom, as clearly shown in Figs.1 and 3. hen the crate is collapsed, as shown in Fig. 2, the ends arefolded over upon the top, and the pins 21 engage orifices 22 in theguides 11 and 12, and thus securelyhold the parts combined. To preventthe sides from lifting or becoming separated while in transit, there isa hook 23 provided, which is carried by one of the slats 9 and engageswith a staple 24, arranged in the floor of the crate adjacent to oneside thereof.

When the crate is folded or knocked down, one side rests upon thebottom, the top rests upon the other side, and the two ends are foldedin over the top, forming thereby a rectangular or quadrilateralstructure, all the edges of which are bounded by one perimeter.

By the manner in which the parts of the same plane; but, if preferred,the upper and I ture that will be cheap and readily manufactured-isproduced and one that will withstand rough usage without becomingdamaged. Furthermore, by the manner of combining the ends with the topand by their coaction with the inner walls of the sides the crate whensetup is positively held against collapsing, thereby avoiding the use ofhooks or looking devices, such as are commonly employed in articles ofthis character.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed is 1. A cratecomprising a bottom, a top,

sides and ends,hinges connecting the bottom, sides and top and being solocated that one side may assume a position in the plane of the bottom,and the opposite side may assume a position in the plane of the top,said top and bottom and their respective alined sides adapted to cometogether when the crate is knocked down, said ends being hinged to thetop in such manner as to swing up over the top and lie in the sameplane, a

locking device for holding the parts in knocked-down positions, andlocking de vices for fixing the ends in set-up positions upon thebottom, and for fixing the ends in knocked-down positions upon the top.

2. A crate comprising a bottom, a top, sides and ends, hinges connectingthe bottom, sides and top and having their leaves disposed interiorly ofthe crate, hinges connecting the ends and top and having their leavesdisposed eXteriorly of the crate, door-guides carried by the top andprovided with looking devices that are adapted to engage with orificesin the ends and the bottom to hold the crate set up, and to engage withthe orifices in the ends and the guides to hold the crate knocked down.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

HENRY H. MAY.

Witnesses FRED P. PRICE, T. F. HANNOFIN.

